'Reset:' Advance Hardcover Review

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of “what would have happened” if I had done something different with my life, or if characters had done something different in a variety of mediums that I pay attention to. There’s always been at least one thing in my life that I would like to change, though I know that I can’t, because it would change who I am—for good or bad, I’m stuck with who I am, because I’m not sure I would like who I would have been instead.

SPOILERS BELOW

Very Brief Summary

Guy, a washed-up actor who aimed higher than what he was ever able to perform, is trying to make money to buy his ex-wife out of their shared condo, when Angie, a representative from the government, offers him money to relive his life virtually. Desperate for the money, Guy accepts, but becomes paranoid when he’s faced with his virtual life being a little too close to actual events. Aware of his paranoia and concerns, the government agency pushes to have Guy increasingly tested to his limits, prompting the actor to rethink some key moments of his life. Eventually, Guy quits the job and begins to piece his life back together, aware that he’s no longer prime Hollywood real estate, but unwilling to completely die out.

Observations

The art style is very different than a lot of what I’ve read over the years; it kind of reminds me a bit of the works of Bryan Lee O’Malley. There’s a difference between this and his work, obviously, especially in regards to characters, but it doesn’t closely resemble any other work of art that I am aware of. I cannot give a better description than that. I’d almost call it crude, but it is still effective, and it doesn’t substitute the sense of a story for any flashy art like some comics I have read. Still, though, the artwork really doesn’t speak that well to me, and it was a major downside to the comic on the whole.

The story, however, was rather interesting, but it felt a bit recycled. The concept of the government being involved felt rather new to me, but the rest of the situation I am quite sure I have read in another format before, I just cannot place where and when. The idea is rather good, though; everyone has something that they want to change about themselves, but I don’t particularly like how the government planned on using it—and I’m not entirely sure just how they were going to be using it the way they wanted, either. The characters felt rather weak to me, like they were cut-outs from a pre-made formula, with no real surprises to see as the comic progressed; however, the character of Angie did surprise me a bit, in that she ended up being very different from what I initially thought she was going to be (though not in a good way, sadly).

There is some profanity and nudity, but not an excessive amount, so readers should be aware of that; it isn’t grotesquely excessive, but done in a very artful fashion that works with the storytelling and plot. Overall, the comic is a good read if you are a bit bored and want something to kill time, but it isn’t going to be a revolutionary type of storytelling that will hold your attention.